Human Scale

 

Jim Rouse and his planning team envisioned a moderately sized, human-scale Downtown having a mix of retail, entertainment, and cultural facilities, giving the area a Tivoli-style ambiance. The group designed a limited street system and building layout appropriate to this vision. In recognition of the Charrette participants’ emphatic resistance to high density levels and in order to maintain a high quality of life throughout Columbia –  including acceptable traffic volume – the density of new development must be significantly lower than the County proposes.

            We propose that the Downtown Master Plan include the development of no more than approximately 1,600 new residential units. This number is consistent with a plan proposed by General Growth Properties (GGP) in May, 2005, and is in vast contrast to the County’s proposed 5,500 new residential units. No change in zoning is needed to permit the construction of the full range of office space and retail space proposed by the County. We urge GGP and the County to redouble their efforts to attract the additional commercial opportunities needed to establish a truly mixed-use community.

 

The number and size of Downtown buildings should not overwhelm residents, workers, and visitors. We believe that no structure should be allowed that is higher than the tallest building now in place in downtown Columbia (approximately 150 feet), and tall buildings should be strictly limited in number. All buildings should be subject to approval by a Design Review Board to ensure that their scale complements the surrounding environment and blends naturally with existing structures. New structures in the Lakefront area should be limited to 40 feet so as not to overwhelm the attractive ambience of the Historic District.

            

            We believe that the proposed 275-foot-high Plaza condominium, if built, would have a negative impact on downtown Columbia and would set a dangerous precedent for future development. The County should not have deliberately excluded the Plaza building from the Charrette process.